Upon hearing this, Zhuang Mingyuan’s heart immediately relaxed. To people from the Demon-Subduing Division, the Division was an absolutely sacred place in their hearts. Once they swore an oath in the name of the Demon-Subduing Division, they would never break it lightly. Besides, he was just a mere Pulse Condensation Warrior; he wasn’t worth the other party breaking their promise.
After some thought, Zhuang Mingyuan finally came clean. "In the past, when Demon Evils descended upon the world causing disaster, a very powerful one appeared near Lin’an City and was ultimately slain by an unknown mighty figure. That fallen Demon Evil did not completely vanish from Heaven and Earth. According to rumors, that powerful Demon Evil left its Essence Blood near Lin’an City, and it would not be long before it fully emerged. By then, many powerful experts would surely arrive to seize the Demon’s Essence Blood."
"Demon’s Essence Blood!?" Shen Changqing’s expression changed slightly.
Demon Evils were entities far stronger than ordinary Strange Monsters. Even though the Demon-Subduing Prison seemed to hold many Demon Evils, they were all captured by the Demon-Subduing Division’s top experts personally. In fact, any Demon Evil was incredibly powerful. Even having broken through to the Innate Realm, he was not capable of contending with Demon Evils.
Similarly, the Essence Blood of a Demon Evil was a rare treasure for some people.
Moreover, according to Zhuang Mingyuan’s statement, that drop of Demon’s Essence Blood might not necessarily come from a low-level Demon Evil; it could be from a much stronger one, though that wasn’t certain.
After a long pause, Shen Changqing’s eyebrows knitted together tightly. "The Demon’s Essence Blood you speak of—what level is it?"
"I’m not clear, but based on the rumors, it should be at least the Essence Blood of a mid-level Demon Evil." Zhuang Mingyuan wanted to shake his head, but the cold sensation on his neck stopped him. Facing Shen Changqing’s inquiry, he told almost everything he knew.
"Rumors? Where did you get these rumors from?"
"Your Excellency may not know this, but the news of Demon’s Essence Blood appearing near Lin’an City isn’t a secret. Many factions have received this information."
"Hmph! If various factions have all received the information, how could the Demon-Subduing Division be unaware!" Shen Changqing scoffed disdainfully.
Although the intelligence this time had a deviation, it didn’t negate the Demon-Subduing Division’s information-gathering capabilities. If Demon’s Essence Blood was indeed emerging and many factions had received word, then the Demon-Subduing Division would absolutely not have failed to catch wind of it.
Zhuang Mingyuan smiled bitterly. "The Demon-Subduing Division has many powerful individuals. Rumor has it that the unknown expert who slew the Demon Evil has some connection with the Demon-Subduing Division. Given the Division’s status and position, it’s quite normal for them not to care about a single Demon Evil’s Essence Blood. I’ve told you everything I can. I hope Your Excellency will keep your word and spare my life!"
"Fine!" Shen Changqing nodded, but the hand gripping his long blade did not retract; instead, it swept directly across Zhuang Mingyuan’s neck.
The sharp blade, combined with his transformed Pure Yang True Qi, instantly decapitated Zhuang Mingyuan. The scorching power instantly cauterized the wound, preventing much blood from spurting out.
The head fell to the ground, Zhuang Mingyuan’s eyes wide open, still wearing an incredulous expression. He had broken his word! The other party had truly disregarded the Demon-Subduing Division’s honor, flagrantly breaking his word! Even at the moment of death, Zhuang Mingyuan struggled to accept it.
Still too naive! Shen Changqing looked at Zhuang Mingyuan, who died with his eyes open, shook his head, and a mocking smile appeared on his face. He hadn’t expected that someone who had lived so long could still be this naive. What was the honor of the Demon-Subduing Division worth? It couldn’t be eaten.
However, the information obtained from Zhuang Mingyuan was quite useful to Shen Changqing.
When Demon’s Essence Blood emerges, it’s from at least mid-level Demon Evils! Is the Demon-Subduing Division truly indifferent, or have they not received the information at all— Shen Changqing couldn’t be sure. But since he had received this information, he definitely had to report it back to the Demon-Subduing Division. What happened next would be for them to decide.
At that moment, a faint aura rose from Zhuang Mingyuan’s body, instantly drifting towards Shen Changqing. This is—
Sensing that familiar aura, Shen Changqing’s eyes flickered, and he immediately focused his mind.
Faction: Great Qin’s Demon Suppression Division
Identity: Probationary Demon Hunter
Martial Arts: Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training Technique (Level 15, cannot be improved), Pure Yang Technique (Level 11, cannot be improved), Seven Kills Blade Technique (Level 2), Iron Sand Palm (Level 2)
His cleared Slaughter Value had directly become four.
Thinking of this, Shen Changqing again took out the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant from his robes. He saw a thick black line on it, and beside it, a much thinner black line had appeared at some unknown time.
The Pure Spirit Jade Pendant was the proof of whether a Probationary Demon Hunter had completed their task. Only when a Demon Evil was slain, or died within a certain range, would its aura be captured by the jade pendant. The thick black line was what remained after the death of the Strange Monster in Guyue Village.
Now, another black line had appeared. Without a doubt, it was because of Zhuang Mingyuan.
The Pure Spirit Jade Pendant can only capture the aura of Demon Evils. Since it could capture an aura from Zhuang Mingyuan’s body, it indirectly proves that he was actually no longer a true member of the Human Clan, but similar to a Demon Evil! Shen Changqing’s gaze was indifferent.
In his sight, Zhuang Mingyuan’s dismembered corpse lay quietly. The blood, long contained, had burst from the severed neck and flowed onto the ground, severely corroding it.
From any perspective, the current Zhuang Mingyuan bore no resemblance to a member of the Human Clan. People , who betrayed the Human Clan, had a unified designation in the Demon-Subduing Division’s records: Demonfolk!
The so-called Demonfolk were those who had forsaken the Human Clan and pledged allegiance to Demon Evils. They sold their bodies and souls to gain powerful strength and prolonged lifespans from the Demon Evils. But as a price, these individuals would gradually become cruel and bloodthirsty, their minds eventually corrupted by Demon Evils, causing them to sink completely into depravity.
It sounded terrifying, but faced with the temptations of power and longevity, some people inevitably succumbed. For them, it didn’t matter whether they were part of the Human Clan; as long as they could live longer, that was enough.
Truth be told, Shen Changqing’s understanding of Demonfolk was merely superficial, gleaned from some cursory readings in the Scripture Pavilion. Zhuang Mingyuan was the first Demonfolk he had ever encountered. Before this, he hadn’t even realized that killing Demonfolk could also yield Slaughter Value.
He gathered some dry branches and placed Zhuang Mingyuan’s corpse on top. Activating his transformed Pure Yang True Qi, a scorching heat instantly erupted, igniting the dry branches. Raging flames quickly engulfed the corpse.
Shen Changqing stood nearby, silently watching the scene.